The authors would like to extend many thanks to Drs. Josep Planas and Juan Castillo for their professional expertise in the development and application of this culture protocol to small fishes and amphibians. Thanks are also due to the countless individuals who have tirelessly assisted with the dissection and dissociation of muscle tissue from many fish (both in species and number), including Matthew Charging, Delci Christensen, Zachary Fowler, Brooke Franzen, Nathan Froehlich, Kira Marshall, Ben Meyer, Ethan Remily, and Sinibaldo Romero. This work was supported by University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Biology start-up funds, Center for Protease Research NIH Grant # 2P20 RR015566, NIH NIAMS Grant # R03AR055350, and NDSU Advance FORWARD NSF Grant #HRD-0811239 to PRB. Support was also provided by the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center award # P30DK056336, NIH NIDDK. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Ethics Statement: All experimentation involving vertebrate animals described herein was approved in advance by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is consistent with guidelines established by the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
1. Preparation for Culture
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the base medium as follows: 9 mM NaHCO3 (1.51 g per 2 L)...

The myogenic program, in whichever species examined, can be most easily studied through an in vitro system. Indeed, upon isolation, myogenic precursor cells (MPCs) in fish or myosatellite cells (MSCs) in mammals readily enter this highly regulated process involving the proliferation, cell cycle withdrawal, and terminal differentiation of myoblasts and the fusion of those myoblasts into nascent myotubes. The general lack of transgenic gene reporter strains of piscine species (with the possible exception of the ze...

Considerable understanding of mammalian myogenesis has been obtained through the recapitulation of this process in both primary mouse (Mus musculus) myoblast cultures and the well-described mouse-derived cell line, C2C125. Beginning in the 1950s6, these cultures have led to much advancement in the understanding of the murinemyogenic program and, by extension, myogenesis in other vertebrates. Additionally, single cell myofiber explant techniques have increased out understanding of interactions between satellite cells and surrounding myofibers7-9.Cell cultures are particularly attractive for investigations of myogenesis due to the short time from precursor to differentiated cell10, relative ease of transfection for RNAi11-14, transgenic15,16 and overexpression studies14,17,18 , in vitro expansion followed by in vivo transplantation18-20, and even comparison of myogenic precursor cells and their regulating agents across taxa21,22. While differences due to the artificial environment of the culture system have been described5,23 , these in vitro systems have proven to be indispensible to our dissection of the intricate program governing the formation of multinucleated, terminally differentiated myofibersfrom mononucleated proliferative progenitor cells known as myosatellite cells (MSCs) among the mammals.
Outside of the class Mammalia, however, the conservation and/or divergence of mechanisms controlling myogenesis are poorly understood, largely due to the difficulty in culturing myogenic precursor cells (MPCs) and myoblasts from various taxa. Indeed, primary myoblast cultures have only been described in three birds24-26, one reptile27, a few amphibians28-30, and some fishes1,3,4,31-33. Continuous myogenic cell lines from vertebrates other than rodents34-36are even more rare, with the only non-mammalian myogenic cell line being derived from Japanese quail (Cortunix japonica), QM737. Despite many attempts at immortalization, a teleost myogenic cell line remains elusive and a protocol for efficient transfection of these cells was only published this year15. Thus, clear and well-optimized protocols for culturing primary MPCs and myoblasts from a variety of vertebrates are very much needed to not only further expand our knowledge of the evolution of the myogenic program, but to employ the power of comparative physiology to make breakthroughs in the treatment of human skeletal muscle diseases and disorders.
While the literature contains many reports of MPC/myoblast isolation38-49, it is common for authors to describe the protocols for such isolations in brief, often incomplete, formats. Further, the most instructive protocols reported have been developed for mice50-53, and some of these rely on antibody selection54,55 or fluorescence transgenes56,57, making these protocols unusable or impractical inmost non-rodent species utilized by muscle biologists. With little known about piscine, amphibian, and reptile myogenesis, a detailed and thorough protocol, described with audiovisual guidance and with demonstrated efficiency in distantly related species, would be most helpful to the field.
First described by Powell and colleagues in 198958, the following protocol was initially developed to isolate MPCs and myoblasts from salmonid fishes (namely, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar) and some larger cyprinids (i.e.&#160;goldfish, Carassiusauratusauratus). In 2000, Fauconneau and Paboeuf optimized a primary myoblast culture for rainbow trout59, and minoroptimizations made that protocol utilizable in several smaller minnows of the Danioninae clade (zebrafish, Danio rerio, and giant danio, Devario aequipinnatus)32 due to the many genetic tools available for zebrafish work and thus its close relatives. Teleost fish are attractive organisms for study due to their divergent growth strategy (at least in most species). Large salmonids, like most fishes, grow indeterminately, with growth potential unfettered by an asymptote at maturity, even in old age60-62. Unlike zebrafish, large danionins such as the giant danio63 and moustached danio display growth potentials typical of teleost fish, making their direct juxtaposition an ideal platform for understanding whether MPC cell fate choice plays a role in skeletal muscle hyperplasia versus hypertrophy.
Likewise, we have demonstrated that this protocol can be used with mice and axolotls, with relatively high cell yield and viability indices. Urodele salamanders, such as the Mexican axolotl (Ambystomamexicanum),possess the remarkable ability to regenerate tissues, including entire limbs and tails64-66. This characteristic makes these amphibians interesting models of skeletal muscle wasting and aging. Using the protocol described below, a similar approach can be undertaken as has been done in many fish species, providing an even wider comparative context for such studies. As many truly comparative biologists appreciate, the most meaningful advances in basic biology and translational biomedicine can be made when data are analyzed within the widest spectrum (here, the entire vertebrate lineage).

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="743">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 1. Detailed Reagent Information</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="42" style="height:43px;width:205px;">Reagent</td>
			<td style="width:217px;">Company (Preferred v. Alternate)</td>
			<td style="width:160px;">Catalog Number (Preferred v. Alternate)</td>
			<td style="width:161px;">Quantity per Culture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">&#947;-irradiated poly-L-lysine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich (MP Biomedicals)</td>
			<td>P5899 (ICN19454405)</td>
			<td>5 mg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">DMEM (high glucose)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich (cellgro)</td>
			<td>MT-50-003-PB (D7777)</td>
			<td>2 L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Laminin</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>CB-40232 (L2020)</td>
			<td>1 mg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:205px;">Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>BP328-500 (S5761)</td>
			<td>1.51 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">HEPES (C8H18N2O4S)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>BP310-1 (H6147)</td>
			<td>9.53 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Antibiotic/Antimycotic</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>SV3007901 (A5955)</td>
			<td>17-20 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Gentamicin Sulfate</td>
			<td>Lonza (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>BW17-519Z (G1397)</td>
			<td>2-3 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Donor Equine Sera</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>SH3007403 (H1270)</td>
			<td>75 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Fetal Bovine Sera</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>SH3007103 (F2442)</td>
			<td>25 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Collagenase (Type IV)</td>
			<td>Worthington (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>LS004189 (C9891)</td>
			<td>0.44 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:205px;">Trypsin (from Pancreas)</td>
			<td>MP Biomedicals (Sigma-Aldrich)</td>
			<td>ICN15357125 (T5266)</td>
			<td>1 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 2. Consumables, Tools and Equipment</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="42" style="height:43px;width:239px;">Consumable</td>
			<td style="width:204px;">Tools</td>
			<td style="width:199px;">Equipment</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;">Cell Culture Plates</td>
			<td>Forceps (Coarse)</td>
			<td>Serological Pipettor</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:239px;">Sterile 50 mL Conical Tubes</td>
			<td style="width:204px;">Forceps (Fine)</td>
			<td>pH Meter</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:239px;">Laboratory Tape</td>
			<td style="width:204px;">Scalpel Handles</td>
			<td>Chilling Incubator (Echotherm)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:239px;">0.2 &#956;m Vacuum Sterilization Systems</td>
			<td style="width:204px;">Scalpel Blades (#10, #11)</td>
			<td>Laminar Flow Hood</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:239px;">Water-repellant Autoclave Paper</td>
			<td style="width:204px;">Surgical Scissors</td>
			<td>Vacuum Manifold</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:239px;">Serological Pipettes</td>
			<td>Glass Petri Dishes</td>
			<td>Microosmolality Meter</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="28" style="height:28px;width:239px;"></td>
			<td>12-16 G Cannulas with Luer Locks</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 3. Optimized Volumes for Coating Cell Culture Plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;width:167px;">Plate Size</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">cm^2 per Well</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Poly-L-lysine*</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Laminin**</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">6 well</td>
			<td>9.5</td>
			<td>1.6 mL</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:167px;">24 well</td>
			<td>1.9</td>
			<td>0.32</td>
			<td>0.2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:167px;">48 well</td>
			<td>0.95</td>
			<td>0.16</td>
			<td>0.1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:167px;">96 well</td>
			<td>0.32</td>
			<td>0.06</td>
			<td>0.03</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:167px;">*0.1 mg/mL concentration</td>
			<td colspan="2">** 0.020 mg/mL concentration</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 4. Media for Isolation, Dissociation, and Culture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;width:163px;">Reagent</td>
			<td style="width:155px;">Isolation</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Wash</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Dissociation</td>
			<td>Complete</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Base Medium</td>
			<td>419.25 mL</td>
			<td>395.40 mL</td>
			<td>297.00 mL</td>
			<td>178.00 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:163px;">PSF*</td>
			<td>5.00 mL</td>
			<td>4.00 mL</td>
			<td>3.00 mL</td>
			<td>2.00 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:163px;">Gentamicin Sulfate**</td>
			<td>0.75 mL</td>
			<td>0.60 mL</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:163px;">Donor Equine Serum</td>
			<td>75.00 mL</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:163px;">Fetal Bovine Serum***</td>
			<td style="width:155px;">-</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>20.00 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4" height="19" style="height:19px;width:660px;">* PSF: penicillin/streptomycin/fungizone cocktail (100x); ** 50 mg/mL concentration; *** Characterized</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 5. Recommended Dilutions and Plating Volumes</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;width:75px;">Plate Size</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">cm^2 per Well</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Dilution</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Plating Volume</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">6 well</td>
			<td>9.5</td>
			<td>1.5-2.0x10^6 cells/mL</td>
			<td>1 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:75px;">24 well</td>
			<td>1.9</td>
			<td>1.5-2.0x10^6 cells/mL</td>
			<td>250 &#956;L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:75px;">48 well</td>
			<td>0.95</td>
			<td>1.5-2.0x10^6 cells/mL</td>
			<td>150 &#956;L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:75px;">96 well</td>
			<td>0.32</td>
			<td>1.5-2.0x10^6 cells/mL</td>
			<td>50-100 &#956;L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 6. Average number of cells per g tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="24" style="height:24px;width:201px;">Species</td>
			<td colspan="2" style="width:273px;">Average # cells/g tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;">Danio rerio</td>
			<td colspan="2">6,400,000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;width:201px;">Danio dangila</td>
			<td colspan="2">1,783,000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;width:201px;">Devario aequipinnatus</td>
			<td colspan="2">1,797,000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;">Oncorhynchus mykiss</td>
			<td colspan="2">66,800</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 7. Recommended Incubation Temperatures</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="24" style="height:24px;width:201px;">Species</td>
			<td colspan="2" style="width:273px;">Temperature</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;">Danio/ Devario spp.</td>
			<td colspan="2">26 - 28 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;width:201px;">Oncorhynchus/Salmo spp.</td>
			<td colspan="2">10* - 18 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2" height="20" style="height:20px;width:201px;">Ambystoma mexicanum</td>
			<td colspan="2">18&#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="3" height="20" style="height:20px;">* Lower temperatures support lower proliferation rates.</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

preparation of primary myogenic precursor cell/myoblast cultures from basal vertebrate lineages

Due to the inherent difficulty and time involved with studying the myogenic program in vivo, primary culture systems derived from the resident adult stem cells of skeletal muscle, the myogenic precursor cells (MPCs), have proven indispensible to our understanding of mammalian skeletal muscle development and growth. Particularly among the basal taxa of Vertebrata, however, data are limited describing the molecular mechanisms controlling the self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of MPCs. Of particular interest are potential mechanisms that underlie the ability of basal vertebrates to undergo considerable postlarval skeletal myofiber hyperplasia (i.e.&#160;teleost fish) and full regeneration following appendage loss (i.e.&#160;urodele amphibians). Additionally, the use of cultured myoblasts could aid in the understanding of regeneration and the recapitulation of the myogenic program and the differences between them. To this end, we describe in detail a robust and efficient protocol (and variations therein) for isolating and maintaining MPCs and their progeny, myoblasts and immature myotubes, in cell culture as a platform for understanding the evolution of the myogenic program, beginning with the more basal vertebrates. Capitalizing on the model organism status of the zebrafish (Danio rerio), we report on the application of this protocol to small fishes of the cyprinid clade Danioninae. In tandem, this protocol can be utilized to realize a broader comparative approach by isolating MPCs from the Mexican axolotl (Ambystomamexicanum) and even laboratory rodents. This protocol is now widely used in studying myogenesis in several fish species, including rainbow trout, salmon, and sea bream1-4.

Twenty-four hours post-seeding, myogenic precursor cells (MPCs) should be visible attached to the laminin substratum (see Figures 1a and 1d). Following seeding, cells (MPCs) adopt a spindle-like shape, indicative of this cell type (Figure 1) and are MyoD1+ (Figure 2). In Danio species, MPCs appear to be more compact with smaller bipolar processes than do MPCs from Oncorhynchus and Salmo species. However, over four days of cultu...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation of Primary Myogenic Precursor Cell/Myoblast Cultures from Basal Vertebrate Lineages at JoVE.com

Preparation of Primary Myogenic Precursor Cell/Myoblast Cultures from Basal Vertebrate Lineages

In vitro culture systems have proven indispensible to our understanding of vertebrate myogenesis. However, much remains to be learned about nonmammalian skeletal muscle development and growth, particularly in basal taxa. An efficient and robust protocol for isolating the adult stem cells of this tissue, the myogenic precursor cells (MPCs), and maintaining their self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation in a primary culture setting allows for the identification of conserved and divergent regulatory mechanisms throughout the vertebrate lineages.

Due to the inherent difficulty and time involved with studying the myogenic program in vivo, primary culture systems derived from the resident adult stem ...

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In vitro culture systems have proven indispensible to our understanding of vertebrate myogenesis. However, much remains to be learned about nonmammalian skeletal muscle development and growth, particularly in basal taxa. An efficient and robust protocol for isolating the adult stem cells of this tissue, the myogenic precursor cells (MPCs), and maintaining their self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation in a primary culture setting allows for the identification of conserved and divergent...

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Isolation and Quantitative Immunocytochemical Characterization of Primary Myogenic Cells and Fibroblasts from Human Skeletal Muscle

The main adherent cell types derived from human muscle are myogenic cells and fibroblasts. Here, cell populations are enriched using magnetic-activated cell sorting based on the CD56 antigen. Subsequent immunolabelling with specific antibodies and use of image analysis techniques allows quantification of cytoplasmic and nuclear characteristics in individual cells.

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The development of neuropathic pain involves pathological changes of spinal cord glial cells. A reliable glial culture system derived from adult spinal cord tissue and designed for studying these cells in vitro is lacking. Therefore, we show here how&#160;to establish primary mixed glial cultures from adult mouse spinal cord...

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Primary dissociated midbrain dopamine cell cultures allow for the study of presynaptic characteristics of dopamine neurons.   They can be used to monitor real-time dopamine release kinetics and protein/mRNA  levels of regulators of dopamine exocytosis. Here, we show you how to generate these cultures from rodent...

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The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a multi-functional epithelium of the eye. Here we present a protocol to establish primary cell cultures derived from the murine...

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Primary microglia cultures are commonly used to evaluate new anti-inflammatory molecules. The present protocol describes a reproducible and relevant method to magnetically isolate microglia from neonate...

Using a pair of fine forceps, position and hold embryos anterior to the yolk with one of the forceps, and remove the tail posterior to the yolk sac with the other forceps. Grab the neck with forceps and take off the head to expose the brain and eyes to the E2 media. With the tip of fine forceps, gently roll the eyes from the head while holding the cranial tissue down with the second forceps. Transfer four eyes to one of the previously prepared tubes containing...

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primary microglia isolation from mixed glial cell cultures of neonatal rat brain tissue

Primary Microglia Isolation from Mixed Glial Cell Cultures of Neonatal Rat Brain Tissue

Isolating primary microglia from the cellular heterogeneity of the brain is essential to investigate their role in both physiological and pathological conditions.  This protocol describes a mechanical isolation and mixed cell culture technique that provides high yield and high purity, viable primary microglial cells for in vitro study and downstream...

na&iuml;ve adult stem cells isolation from primary human fibroblast cultures

Na&amp;#239;ve Adult Stem Cells Isolation from Primary Human Fibroblast Cultures

We report a method to isolate na&#239;ve multipotent skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells from primary human fibroblast cultures. We show that these SKPs derived from fibroblast cultures share similar stem cell properties to the ones derived directly from human skin biopsies. These cells express the neural crest marker, nestin, in addition to the multipotent markers such as OCT4 and...

Na&iuml;ve Adult Stem Cells Isolation from Primary Human Fibroblast Cultures

It is crucial that tissue pieces are well-digested to obtain a single-cell suspension. However, over-digestion will result in fewer viable cells. Each lab needs to perform pilot tests to determine the exact digestion time based on what works best for their...

generation of organotypic raft cultures from primary human keratinocytes

Generation of Organotypic Raft Cultures from Primary Human Keratinocytes

An in vitro method to mimic in vivo epithelial differentiation is described. Many viruses target epithelial cells as part of their viral life cycle, and this method provides a means of examining virus:host interactions that more closely resembles that which occurs in vivo. This technique can be used with primary keratinocytes, established cell lines, as well as normal or diseased biopsy...

high-content screening differentiation and maturation analysis of fetal and adult neural stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte precursor cell cultures

High-Content Screening Differentiation and Maturation Analysis of Fetal and Adult Neural Stem Cell-Derived Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Cultures

We describe the production of mixed cultures of astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells derived from fetal or adult neural stem cells differentiating into mature oligodendrocytes, and in vitro modeling of noxious stimuli. The coupling with a cell-based high-content screening technique builds a reliable and robust drug screening...

preparation of a high-quality primary cell culture from fish pituitaries

Preparation of a High-quality Primary Cell Culture from Fish Pituitaries

Here we describe a protocol to prepare and maintain primary pituitary cell cultures from medaka (Oryzias latipes). The optimized conditions in this protocol take important parameters such as temperature, osmolality, and pH into consideration by mimicking the physiological conditions of the fish, thereby enabling physiologically more meaningful...

establishing primary adult fibroblast cultures from rodents

Establishing Primary Adult Fibroblast Cultures From Rodents

This article describes a protocol for isolation and maintenance of primary fibroblast cultures from skin and lung tissue of wild...

isolation of precursor b-cell subsets from umbilical cord blood

Isolation of Precursor B-cell Subsets from Umbilical Cord Blood

Here we describe a protocol for isolating subsets of precursor B-cells from umbilical cord blood.  A sufficient quantity and quality of nucleic acids may be extracted from the cells and used in subsequent assays utilizing DNA or...

Primary Neuronal Cultures from the Brains of Late Stage Drosophila Pupae

In this video, we demonstrate the preparation of primary neuronal cultures from the brains of late stage Drosophila pupae. The procedure begins with the removal of brains from animals at 70-78 hrs after puparium formation. The isolated brains are shown after brief incubation in papain followed by several washes in serum-free growth medium. The process of mechanical dissociation of each brain in a 5 ul drop of media on a coverslip is illustrated. The axons and dendrites of the post-mitotic neurons are sheered off near the soma during dissociation but the neurons begin to regenerate processes within a few hours of plating. Images show live cultures at 2 days. Neurons continue to elaborate processes during the first week in culture. Specific neuronal populations can be identified in culture using GAL4 lines to drive tissue specific expression of fluorescent markers such as  GFP or RFP. Whole cell recordings have demonstrated the cultured neurons form functional, spontaneously active cholinergic and GABAergic synapses. A short video segment illustrates calcium dynamics in the cultured neurons using Fura-2 as a calcium indicator dye to monitor spontaneous calcium transients and nicotine evoked calcium responses in a dish of cultured neurons. These pupal brain cultures are a useful model system in which genetic and pharmacological tools can be used to identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence formation and function of central synapses.

This video demonstrates the preparation of primary neuronal cultures from the brains of late stage Drosophila pupae. Views of live cultures show neurite outgrowth and imaging of calcium levels using Fura-2.

In this video, we demonstrate the preparation of primary neuronal cultures from the brains of late stage Drosophila pupae. The procedure begins with the ...

Preparation of Neuronal Cultures from Midgastrula Stage Drosophila Embryos

This video illustrates the procedure for making primary neuronal cultures from midgastrula stage Drosophila embryos. The methods for collecting embryos and their dechorionation using bleach are demonstrated. Using a glass pipet attached to a mouth suction tube, we illustrate the removal of all cells from single embryos. The method for dispersing cells from each embyro into a small (5 l) drop of medium on an uncoated glass coverslip is demonstrated. A view through the microscope at 1 hour after plating illustrates the preferred cell density. Most of the cells that survive when grown in defined medium are neuroblasts that divide one or more times in culture before extending neuritic processes by 12-24 hours. A view through the microscope illustrates the level of neurite outgrowth and branching expected in a healthy culture at 2 days in vitro. The cultures are grown in a simple bicarbonate based defined medium, in a 5% CO2 incubator at 22-24&deg;C. Neuritic processes continue to elaborate over the first week in culture and when they make contact with neurites from neighboring cells they often form functional synaptic connections. Neurons in these cultures express voltage-gated sodium, calcium, and potassium channels and are electrically excitable. This culture system is useful for studying molecular genetic and environmental factors that regulate neuronal differentiation, excitability, and synapse formation/function.

This video demonstrates the preparation of primary neuronal cultures from midgastrula stage Drosophila embryos. Views of live cultures show cells 1 hour after plating and differentiated neurons after 2 days of growth in a bicarbonate-based defined medium. The neurons are electrically excitable and form synaptic connections.

This video illustrates the procedure for making primary neuronal cultures from midgastrula stage Drosophila embryos. The methods for collecting embryos ...

Preparation of Dissociated Mouse Cortical Neuron Cultures

This video will guide you through the process for generating cortical neuronal cultures from late embryo and early postnatal mouse brain. These cultures can be used for a variety of applications including immunocytochemistry, biochemistry, electrophysiology, calcium and sodium imaging, protein and/or RNA isolation. These cultures also provide a platform to study the neuronal development of transgenic animals that carry a late embryonic or postnatal lethal gene mutation. The procedure is relatively straight forward, requires some experience in tissue culture technique and should not take longer than two to three hours if you are properly prepared. Careful separation of the cortical rind from the thalamo-cortical fiber tract will reduce the number of unwanted non-neuronal cells. To increase yields of neuronal cells triturate the pieces of the cortical tissue gently after the enzyme incubation step. This is imperative as it prevents unnecessary injury to cells and premature neuronal cell death. Since these cultures are maintained in the absence of glia feeder cells, they also offer an added advantage of growing cultures enriched in neurons.

This video shows a procedure for generating neuronal cultures from late embryo and early postnatal mouse cortex. These cultures can be used for immunocytochemistry, biochemistry, electrophysiology, calcium and sodium imaging and provide a platform to study the neuronal development of transgenic animals that carry a postnatal lethal gene mutation.

This video will guide you through the process for generating cortical neuronal cultures from late embryo and early postnatal mouse brain. These cultures ...

The ability to create primary cell cultures of dopamine neurons allows for the study of the presynaptic characteristics of dopamine neurons in isolation from systemic input from elsewhere in the brain. In our lab, we use these neurons to assess dopamine release kinetics using carbon fiber amperometry, as well as expression levels of dopamine related genes and proteins using quantitative PCR and immunocytochemistry. In this video, we show you how we generate these cultures from rodent neonates.
The process involves several steps, including the plating of cortical glial astrocytes, the conditioning of neuronal cell culture media by the glial substrate, the dissection of the midbrain in neonates, the digestion, extraction and plating of dopamine neurons and the addition of neurotrophic factors to ensure cell survival.
The applications suitable for such a preparation include electrophysiology, immunocytochemistry, quantitative PCR, video microscopy (i.e., of real-time vesicular fusion with the plasma membrane), cell viability assays and other toxicological screens.

Primary dissociated midbrain dopamine cell cultures allow for the study of presynaptic characteristics of dopamine neurons. They can be used to monitor real-time dopamine release kinetics and protein/mRNA levels of regulators of dopamine exocytosis. Here, we show you how to generate these cultures from rodent neonates.

The ability to create primary cell cultures of dopamine neurons allows for the study of the presynaptic characteristics of dopamine neurons in isolation ...

It is becoming increasingly apparent that electroporation is the most effective way to introduce plasmid DNA or siRNA into primary cells. The Gene Pulser MXcell  electroporation system and Gene Pulser  electroporation buffer were specifically developed to transfect nucleic acids into mammalian cells and difficult-to-transfect cells, such as primary and stem cells.This video demonstrates how to establish primary hematopoietic cell cultures from murine bone marrow, and then prepare them for electroporation in the MXcell system. We begin by isolating femur and tibia. Bone marrow from both femur and tibia are then harvested and cultures are established. Cultured bone marrow cells are then transfected and analyzed.

This procedure describes how to establish primary hematopoietic cell cultures from murine bone marrow and is followed by transfection using the Gene Pulser MXCell electroporation system.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that electroporation is the most effective way to introduce plasmid DNA or siRNA into primary cells. The Gene Pulser ...

Fabrication of Myogenic Engineered Tissue Constructs

Despite the fact that electronic pacemakers are life-saving medical devices, their long-term performance in pediatric patients can be problematic owing to the restrictions imposed by a child's small size and their inevitable growth. Consequently, there is a genuine need for innovative therapies designed specifically for pediatric patients with cardiac rhythm disorders. We propose that a conductive biological alternative consisting of a collagen-based matrix containing autologously-derived cells could better adapt to growth, reduce the need for recurrent surgeries, and greatly improve the quality of life for these patients. In the present study, we describe a procedure for incorporating primary skeletal myoblast cell cultures within a hydrogel matrix to fashion a surgically-implantable tissue construct that will serve as an electrical conduit between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. Ultimately, we anticipate using this type of engineered tissue to restore atrioventricular electrical conduction in children with complete heart block. In view of that, we isolate myoblasts from the skeletal muscles of neonatal Lewis rats and plate them onto laminin-coated tissue culture dishes using a modified version of established protocols[2, 3]. After one to two days, cultured cells are collected and mixed with antibiotics, type 1 collagen, Matrigel&trade;, and NaHCO3. The result is a viscous, uniform solution that can be cast into a mold of nearly any shape and size[1, 4, 5]. For our tissue constructs, we employ type 1 collagen isolated from fetal lamb skin using standard procedures[6]. Once the tissue has solidified at 37&deg;C, culture media is carefully added to the plate until the construct is submerged. The engineered tissue is then allowed to further condense through dehydration for 2 more days, at which point it is ready for in vitro assessment or surgical-implantation.

Here, we demonstrate fabrication of collagen-based, tissue constructs containing skeletal myoblasts. These 3-D engineered constructs may be used to replace or repair tissues in vivo. For our purposes, we have designed these as an atrioventricular electrical conduit for the repair of complete heart block[1].

Despite the fact that electronic pacemakers are life-saving medical devices, their long-term performance in pediatric patients can be problematic owing to ...

The importance of using primary cells, rather than cancer cell lines, for biological studies is becoming widely recognized. Primary cells are preferred in studies of cell cycle control, apoptosis, and DNA repair, as cancer cells carry mutations in genes involved in these processes. Primary cells cannot be cultured indefinitely due to the onset of replicative senescence or aneuploidization. Hence, new cultures need to be established regularly. The procedure for isolation of rodent embryonic fibroblasts is well established, but isolating adult fibroblast cultures often presents a challenge. Adult rodent fibroblasts isolated from mouse models of human disease may be a preferred control when comparing them to fibroblasts from human patients. Furthermore, adult fibroblasts are the only available material when working with wild rodents where pregnant females cannot be easily obtained. Here we provide a protocol for isolation and culture of adult fibroblasts from rodent skin and lungs. We used this procedure successfully to isolate fibroblasts from over twenty rodent species from laboratory mice and rats to wild rodents such as beaver, porcupine, and squirrel.

This article describes a protocol for isolation and maintenance of primary fibroblast cultures from skin and lung tissue of wild rodents.

The importance of using primary cells, rather than cancer cell lines, for biological studies is becoming widely recognized.  Primary cells are preferred ...

Here we describe a method for preparing and culturing primary cells dissociated from Drosophila gastrula embryos. In brief, a large amount of staged embryos from young and healthy flies are collected, sterilized, and then physically dissociated into a single cell suspension using a glass homogenizer. After being plated on culture plates or chamber slides at an appropriate density in culture medium, these cells can further differentiate into several morphologically-distinct cell types, which can be identified by their specific cell markers. Furthermore, we present conditions for treating these cells with double stranded (ds) RNAs to elicit gene knockdown. Efficient RNAi in Drosophila primary cells is accomplished by simply bathing the cells in dsRNA-containing culture medium. The ability to carry out effective RNAi perturbation, together with other molecular, biochemical, cell imaging analyses, will allow a variety of questions to be answered in Drosophila primary cells, especially those related to differentiated muscle and neuronal cells.

We provide a detailed protocol for preparing primary cells dissociated from Drosophila embryos. The ability to carry out the effective RNAi perturbation, together with other molecular, biochemical and cell imaging methods will allow a variety of questions to be addressed in Drosophila primary cells.

Here we describe a method for preparing and culturing primary cells dissociated from Drosophila gastrula embryos.   In brief, a large amount of staged ...

Isolation of Basal Cells and Submucosal Gland Duct Cells from Mouse Trachea

The large airways are directly in contact with the environment and therefore susceptible to injury from toxins and infectious agents that we breath in 1. The large airways therefore require an efficient repair mechanism to protect our bodies. This repair process occurs from stem cells in the airways and isolating these stem cells from the airways is important for understanding the mechanisms of repair and regeneration. It is also important for understanding abnormal repair that can lead to airway diseases 2. The goal of this method is to isolate a novel stem cell population from the mouse tracheal submucosal gland ducts and to place these cells in in vitro and in vivo model systems to identify the mechanisms of repair and regeneration of the submucosal glands 3. This production shows methods that can be used to isolate and assay the duct and basal stem cells from the large airways 3.This will allow us to study diseases of the airway, such as cystic fibrosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Currently, there are no methods for isolation of submucosal gland duct cells and there are no in vivo models to study the regeneration of submucosal glands.

Here we demonstrate our protocol for isolation of basal and submucosal gland duct cells from mouse tracheas. We also demonstrate the method of injecting stem cells into the dorsal mouse fat pad to create an in vivo model of submucosal gland regeneration.

The large airways are directly in contact with the environment and therefore susceptible to injury from toxins and infectious agents that we breath in 1. ...

Preparation of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast Cells Suitable for Culturing Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

In general, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)1 can be cultured under variable conditions. However, it is not easy to establish an effective system for culturing these cells. Since the culture conditions can influence gene expression that confers pluripotency in hESCs and hiPSCs, the optimization and standardization of the culture method is crucial.
The establishment of hESC lines was first described by using MEFs as feeder cells and fetal bovine serum (FBS)-containing culture medium2. Next, FBS was replaced with knockout serum replacement (KSR) and FGF2, which enhances proliferation of hESCs3. Finally, feeder-free culture systems enable culturing cells on Matrigel-coated plates in KSR-containing conditioned medium (medium conditioned by MEFs)4. Subsequently, hESCs culture conditions have moved towards feeder-free culture in chemically defined conditions5-7. Moreover, to avoid the potential contamination by pathogens and animal proteins culture methods using xeno-free components have been established8.
To obtain improved conditions mouse feeder cells have been replaced with human cell lines (e.g. fetal muscle and skin cells9, adult skin cells10, foreskin fibroblasts11-12, amniotic mesenchymal cells13). However, the efficiency of maintaining undifferentiated hESCs using human foreskin fibroblast-derived feeder layers is not as high as that from mouse feeder cells due to the lower level of secretion of Activin A14. Obviously, there is an evident difference in growth factor production by mouse and human feeder cells.
Analyses of the transcriptomes of mouse and human feeder cells revealed significant differences between supportive and non-supportive cells. Exogenous FGF2 is crucial for maintaining self-renewal of hESCs and hiPSCs, and has been identified as a key factor regulating the expression of Tgf&beta;1, Activin A and Gremlin (a BMP antagonist) in feeder cells. Activin A has been shown to induce the expression of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG in hESCs15-16.
For long-term culture, hESCs and hiPSCs can be grown on mitotically inactivated MEFs or under feeder-free conditions in MEF-CM (MEF-Conditioned Medium) on Matrigel-coated plates to maintain their undifferentiated state. Success of both culture conditions fully depends on the quality of the feeder cells, since they directly affect the growth of hESCs.
Here, we present an optimized method for the isolation and culture of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), preparation of conditioned medium (CM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the levels of Activin A within the media.

The quality of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) is dictated by the right strain of mouse such as CF-1. Pluripotency-supportive MEFs and conditioned media (CM) obtained from these should contain optimal concentrations of Activin A, Gremlin and Tgf&beta;1 needed for the Activin/Nodal and FGF pathways to co-operatively maintain self-renewal and pluripotency.

In general, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)1 can be cultured under variable conditions. However, it ...